Automatically folding bed-bottom fabric



May 13, 1930. N. s. HARTER 1,758,830

AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING BED BOTTOM FABRIC Original Filed Oct. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 13, 1930. F N. s. HARTER 1,758,830

AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING BED BOTTOM FABRIC Original Filed Oct. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z 25 z f 6 IC a .f" 7 5 ,z2 z 0 a r H4 za f 5 c d gwuwnkw Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NOAH S. HARTER, F WAUKEGAN, ILLINO IS, ASSIGNOR'TO CHAMPION FOLDINGFUR- AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING BED-BOTTOM. FABRIC Original application filed. October 5, 1927, Serial No 1929. Serial This invention relates to bed-bottom fabrics for folding cots, and particularly to means whereby the fabric will automatically fold when it is released from the cot frame. The

present application is a division of my application Serial Number 224,151; filed October 5, 1927, patented June 18, 1929, No. 1,718,203. I have shown my invention in connection with a bed-bottom fabric composed of a plurality of wire strands, each bent alternately in opposite directions to form loops of similar length, and rows of links of the same length as the loops connect the closed ends of the loops in adjacent strands. This type of fabric may be folded by hand into a compact bundle by folding the links and strands successively in opposite directions. In accordance with the present invention, long helical springs are connected to the fabric in such a way that When tension on the fabric is relaxed by disconnecting one of its ends from the cot frame, the springs tend to fold the strands and links oppositely, and if one end of the fabric is moved toward the other, the

fabric will be automatically folded into a compact bundle.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a bed-bottom fabric composed of alternate wire strands and links, and having resilient folding means comprising helical springs extending longitudinally of the fabric;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of a cot frame having the fabric of Fig. 1 stretched thereon;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the fabric detached from one end of the cot and partly folded;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the fabric com folded within the end bars;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, on a larger scale, showing several of the strands and connecting links partly folded; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the fabric, on a larger scale than in Fig. 1, showing the same folding spring as in said figure.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates a bed bottom fabric which is the same as that illustrated in the patent of Frank A. Adkins and Noah S. Harter, No. 1,717,953; dated pletely 224,151. Dividedand this application fi1ed.May..17,

June 18,1929, this fabric having my present improvements thereon for causing the fabric to fold automatically.

The fabric as shown comprises a plurality of wire strands a, b, c, d, etc., each bent to form loops of similar length opening alternately in opposite directions. Thus, the strand a has loops 1 opening in one direction, and loops 2 opening in the opposite direction; the strand Z) has loops 1 opening in one direction, and alternateloops 2 opening in the opposite direction, and thestrands c and (Z, etc, aresimilarly formed. The closed ends of alternate loops in adjacent strands are connected by sheet-metal links f, which are of substantially the same length as the loops. The ends of the fabric are connected to angle bars 1 and 2, which areadapted to fit over the ends ofbars 3 and 4, which constitute extensions of side rails 5 of a cot frame 9. The fabric is preferably provided with springs 6, connecting one of these end strands with one of the end bars, to permit stretching of the fabric when applying the same to a cot frame.

In order to cause automatic folding of the fabric, two helical springs h are arranged longitudinally of the fabric, and each spring is attached to one link in each row between each pair of adjacent strands, and-to corresponding points on the; links. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the spring h is connected to the link 7" between the strands a and 6; also to the link f between the strands b and c, and also to the link f between the strands c and (Z, these connections being near the righthand ends of these links. The attachment to the links may conveniently be-by meansof wire loops 7, extending through holes 8 punched in the links. The ends of the folding spring are shown connected to the end strands of the fabric at 9. Referring particularly to Fig.6, the folding spring It extends from. the point 9 on the strand (1 diagonally beneath the adjacent loop 1 of said strand to the link f, and thence diagonallybeneath the adjacent loop '2 of the strand I) to the link f, connecting the strands b and c, thence diagonally in the opposite direction beneath the strand 0 to the link f between the strands c and d. Thus,

throughout the length of the fabric, the spring takes a. zigzag course between the cor responding ends of links between adjacent strands and passes under the strands.

WVhen one of the end bars, such as the end bar 2, is detached from the end bars of the cot frame and moved along the side rails toward the other end bar, the springs it will cause the strands and links to fold oppositely, as indicated in Fig 5, and by moving the end bars 1 and 2 close together, the fabric will fold between them, as illustrated in Fig. 4:-

' As the sections of the springs, between their connections to the links in adjacent rows, eX- tend under some of the loops in the strands, these sections bear upwardly, with light pressure, against the loops, and when one end bar is moved toward the other and the spring contracts, the spring sections lift the loops bearing upon them and draw corresponding ends of the link together. While each spring is connected to only one link in a row, the turning of the wire strands causes all of the links to fold in the same way as the links to which the spring is connected.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A folding bed bottom fabric comprising a plurality of wire strands, each bent to form a series of loops opening alternately in opposite directions, and rows of links hingedly connecting the closed ends of alternate loops in the adjacent strands, said loops and links lying in a common plane when the fabric is stretched, and a helical spring extending longitudinally of the fabric and adapted to fold the successive strands and links oppositely when tension on the fabric is relaxed.

2. A folding bed bottom fabric comprising a plurality of wire strands, each bent to form 'a series of loops opening alternately in opposite directions, and rows of links hingedly connecting the closed ends of alternate loops in. the adjacent strands, said loops and links lying in a common plane when the fabric is stretched, and a pair of helical springs, one

near each side of the fabric, each spring extending longitudinally of the fabric and adapted to fold the successive strands and links oppositely when tension on the fabric is relaxed.

3., A folding bed bottom fabric comprising a plurality of wire strands, each bent to form a series of loops opening alternately in opposite directions, and rows of links hingedly connecting the closed ends of alternate loops in the adjacent strands, and a helical spring extending longitudinally of the fabric and connected to one link in each row, said spring adapted to fold the successive strands and links oppositely when tension on the fabric is relaxed.

' In testimony whereof I affix mysignature.

NOAH S, HARTER. 

